1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to swimsuits for infants.
The present invention more particularly relates to swimsuits for infants and designed to facilitate changing the infant's diaper without removal of the swimsuit.
2. Prior Developments
Mothers with infants will sometimes let the infant sit or play in a wadding pool. Also, an infant may be allowed to sit on a wet beach, and play in the wet sand, e.g., fill a toy pail with water or sand, using a toy shovel or cup.
In either case, the infant will usually be wearing a bathing suit (or swimsuit). When the infant is wearing a diaper under the swimsuit there is a problem, in that water from the pool or wet beach can infiltrate the diaper so that it becomes water-logged and quite heavy. The weight of the water-saturated diaper can interfere with the infant's mobility and comfort.
Mothers commonly cope with this problem by changing the baby's diaper on a frequent basis, e.g., whenever the diaper becomes noticeably heavy. When the baby is wearing a conventional one piece bathing suit over the diaper, the bathing suit must be removed before the diaper can be changed. Removal of the bathing suit (swimsuit) can be tedious, and difficult, especially if the swimsuit is wet and impregnated with sand. The conventional one piece infant swimsuit has to be moved downwardly along the infant's body (or horizontally over the infant's feet if the infant is in a prone position). After the diaper has been changed the bathing suit has to be pulled back over the infant's body. When the swimsuit is wet or impregnated with sand the process can be time-consuming and also somewhat uncomfortable for the infant.
When the infant's diaper has to be changed on a frequent basis, the added requirement for removing the infant's swimsuit and later putting the swimsuit back on the infant can be an annoyance.
The present invention relates to infant swimsuits that can be opened to permit the infant's diaper to be changed, such that the swimsuit can remain on the infant during the diaper-changing process.
Prior to the present invention, infant T-shirts have been designed to facilitate diaper changing. Such T-shirts are commonly formed with strip-like extensions at the front and back for disposition in the crotch area between the legs. Snap action fasteners at the ends of these extensions can be snapped together to hold the T-shirt in place on the infant's body.
When it becomes necessary to change the infant's diaper the fasteners are disengaged, and the extensions pulled apart and up onto the infant's body to, at least partially, expose the diaper. The strip-like extensions are integral with the T-shirt, such that the extensions can be pulled only a limited amount away from the infant's body; usually the T-shirt has to be slid bodily along the infant's torso to gain complete access to the diaper.